Description

This is a brief story about my beautiful, sweet dog, Birdy. Birdy was a typical happy golden retriever who, just weeks before her third birthday, began to experience behavioral and coordination issues. The vets first diagnosed her with Addison's, but an ACTH test came back borderline negative and they never re-considered what would later be recognized to be an accurate diagnosis. Birdy was correctly diagnosed and treated on September 10, 2008, 6 weeks after her first Addisonian collapse (also referred to as an Addisonian Crisis). She originally collapsed on July 24, 2008. Unfortunately, too much time had passed, the kidneys and liver had ceased to function. Birdy responded to the treatment, but succumbed September 11, just ten days before what would have been her third birthday. This video is dedicated to my sweet, beautiful dog, but it's posted to bring awareness to dog owners that ACTH tests can be inaccurate and the symptoms of Addison's are varied. Almost always, there is diahhrea dark or black stool, hair loss and behavioral changes. Birdy did not ever vomit, something they looked for and its absence was part of the reason she was misdiagnosed. She was compelled in a disoriented way to forward motion, like an alzheimer's first stage patient. Lethargy only set in late in the illness. Her sodium level was non-existant and her potassium level was off the chart. Again, Addison's occurs in females between 1-4 years old. Even if the test is negative, it may still be Addisons! I do not recommend UC Davis or VCA Sacramento Animal Medical Group, in fact, I consider both to be incompetent, especially the UC Davis Department of Neurology and Maggie Knipe. UCD uses residents and students to evaluate dogs, but they tell clients they are "doctors." This is misleading and does not serve the client, who then assumes they have been seen by someone competent and experienced. Sacramento Animal Medical Group was primarily responsible for the missed diagnosis and flawed administration of the technical acth test on Birdy. They are a corporation, leaving you to pay the most for the worst care. Vets at VCA are employees on shifts, and this, more than anything else, led to the death of a beautiful, young dog who had a very treatable illness.If you do have a dog with a difficult diagnosis, I would highly recommend Dr. Cowan, who owns the Whipple Avenue Animal Hospital in Redwood City, California. His experience over the years was invaluable in immediately recognizing Birdy's illness. It was my failure to bring Birdy back to him sooner that ultimately caused her to lose the battle she fought valiantly for so many weeks.If you have an Addison's dog, or you suspect Addison's, please feel free to contact me. I don't know much, but what I do know I learned at a very great cost. It is my hope that if I can prevent someone else from paying the price I paid in losing perhaps the best friend and companion of my life that, while it won't have been worth it, it will at least have had some good come from it.The field shown in this video is the Vernal Pools in Fair Oaks, California. We lived across the street and this was Birdy's "field of gold." She knew it well and it's the reason for the song choice and it's appropriate that the images of this particular field and the Canadian geese she was so fascinated by, are present. Song credit: the late Eva Cassidy. Photo credit: Dan Aiello

Channel: Pets & Animals Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am Author: up4Dan

Length: 05:09 Rating: 4.3333335 Views: 1771

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